Grapple.



S. M. SMITH.

GRAPPLE. A APPLICATION FlLED MAR. l0, |915.

Patented July 6,1915.

Aals

j `s'rnrmru M. SMITH, or Boise,- IDAHO.

emarrnn Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Juf1ye,`1915.`

' App'iieatiqnmeamamh10,1915. serialrro.13,401. .d 'i

To dll whom it may concern ,Be it known that I, STErHEN M. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, .residing at I Boise, in the countylv of Ad'aand State of lowingis a specification.

Idaho, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grapples, of which the fol- This invention relates to grapples,y and in its more intense asp'ectto grapplesjofthat type adapted to be suspended from a fleXi'V ble member whereby it may be raised and 'lowered and moved about at will."-

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a simple and practical device of the above character which willv be semi-automatic in its operation of opening and `closing as the` device is lowered and raised.

the above character which will' be vinexpensive to manufacture, durable .in construction 'and having its parts so positioned andv arranged as to distribute the stresses andv `strains exerted thereon in a lmost eilicient f ,the first above mentioned `character which f manner.

Afurthen object is to pro/Videla device of will be reliable in use, operation and not vlikely to get outv of order and capable of ready alteration to suit .dilferentfrequirements. Its other objects will be in part obvious from the Aannexed drawings and in y'part indicated lin connection therewith by ,the following analysis of this invention.

This invention accordingly consists in the .features of construction,` combination vof parts` and yin the unique relations. of the members and in the relative proportioning and disposition thereof, all as more completelyoutlined herein.

. to comprehend lthe underlying 'eatures To enableothers'skilled in the art so fully Y l thereof that they' may embody the same by the numerous modifications in ystructure and relation4 contemplated by .this invention, drawings depicting apreferred form `have been annexed asa partvof this disclosure,

and in such drawings like characters of ref erence denote corresponding parts throughout all the views in Which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the grap`A v ple in open position; Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view with the parts in closed posii' tion; Fig. 3 is a perspective View of an attachment whereby the device may be easilyl other-uses to which plica-ble.

Secured to `rReferring now* the drawings in detail and more partlcularly to Fig. 1,'5 denotes a casting or upper member 4which `"willhereinafterbe referred; toasa stationary member,` "j j yinasmuch at 1t remains relatively fixed during the opening and "closingof'the' arms;

ther device is equally ap- This member is of'diskshape having a ceny tral square' or other annular opening through :which passes an actuatingmember 6 having a ,crossl section, corresponding to that of the opening in the disk 5' to prevent relative turning movement of these two parts. The stationary-member 5 is provided-with a; lurality of downwardly depending lugs` to y i which are ivotall connected acorres' nd# A furtherobject yis .to provide a device of p y p0 ing number, vin thev present case four, lof grapplmg `arms 8. These 'arms'` are "prefer ably made iny two parts, gripping thesouter sldes of the coactingjlugs 7 and converging` gradually to a gripping point 9 of any des1red shape adapted to 'accomplish the' result intended, and to mosteiiiciently coperate with the material to be handled; 'Braces or reinforcing members 10i are providedI as necessary. `f f The lower end of the operating member or 'i shank v6 is provided lalso with'radially pro-y i jecting lugs ll'to which are`pivotally`nconnected links 12 .corresponding vin` number to the number of grappling arms. These' links 1'2`m'aybe duplex andV grip the outer lsides of the grappling varmsor a` single link bolted .between the partsV of .the 1 grappling preferred as it has `certain advantages Vof strength and rigidity, lyet they latter fwould reduce the cost of manufacturingand assembling. Binding members?" `13 `hold the links in place.

is ia `pulley '14 'and on the upper. part of a f plate 15 immediately` above .the 'lugs 11 are posit1oned twoA pulleys16-17. hoisting armsjasdesired. `Tliefir'stconstruction isg.

theunder side of ,the shank 5 'I cable 18 passes through Yan opening the Y disk 5, thence through one of thelowerpuls leys l16, then the .upper pulleyA 14, back: through the other lower 'pulley 17 va'ndhas its ends secured to anv convenient Ipoint on` the lower side of the isk 1T his hoisting cable-` may also pass n shield 19,y Fig.1,or be attached 'diretly to an eye 20 atthe upper ,end rof,Y thelshank or through'a` guide and."

converted -into agdigger, dredger Orman? "actuating .member 6,? without? passing `11`0 The operation of this device is substanv tially as follows: The ends'of the cables 18 and 21 are, of course, suitably connected with winding drums not herein shown, un-

. der the control of an operator at any convenient point. In lowering the device the weight is supported entirely from the release cable 21, the hoisting cable 418 being slack. This will permit the shank 6 and links 12 to drop by gravity to the position shown inFig. 1 to open the arms of the grapple.

release cable 21 is slackened and a pull exerted on the hoisting cable will cause a relative upward movement of the shank 6 with respect to the stationary member 5 to move the parts to the position shown in Fig. 2, bringing the points 9 of the several arms relatively close to each other beneath the object to be lifted. The stronger the pull exerted by the hoisting cable the tighter will be the gripping effect of the arms about the load. Y

By making the gripping arms and connecting links 12 in duplex form by suitable reinforcements 10 and 13, as shown herein, skewing of the arms to one side or the other of the vertical. axis as they engage'an ir regular load will be more or less prevented.

v Also by having the shank 6 of irregular cross section instead of round a relative turning movement of this part with respect to the member 5 is positively prevented. The cables which are entirely above the mechanism constituting the grapple may be operated from separatepoints, thereby to prevent a snarling-'or twisting of the cables f with respect to ,each other.

In Fig. 3 there is shown an attachment in the form of an auxiliary point or digging blade 22 for example, provided with lugs or flanges 23 on its rear side having openings 24. through which bolts not shown, may be passed, to coact with openings 25 in the arms of the grapple. It will of course be understood that each of the arms is provided with a diggingv blade of this character whereby the grapple may be easily converted into a. dredger of orange peel type. This would be particularly desirable in handling light material, such as sand or mud.

While' the grapple herein shown is described with relation to its ordinary function of lifting irregular loads, such as rocks and boulders, it is also to be understood that 'by slight modification of the points of the grappling arms or in size it may be easily converted to other uses, such as hay lifting When the grapple is properly V positionec1 overthe object to belifted theA devices, loading and unloading vessels, quarrying, and for many other purposes.

v the generic or specific aspects of this invention, and therefore such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the vmeaning and range of equivalency' of the following claimsz Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire tol secure by Letters Patent is: 1. In a device of the character described,

in combination, a stationary member, a plurality of duplex lgrappling irons pivotally iconnected with said member at their upper ends, a movable actuating member passing throughsaid stationary member and held against relative rotation therein, and duplex link members between the middle part of said grappling arms and said movable member. f

2. In a device of the character described, in combination, a stationary member, a plurality of rigid duplex grappling arms connectedwith said member, a movable actuat ing member passing through said stationary member and held against relative rotation therein, links between the grappling arms and said movable member, a release cable connected with the stationary member and a hoisting cable connected with said movable member. n

3.- In a device of the character described, in combination, a stationary member, a plu rality of grappling arms connected with said member, a movable actuating member passingthrough said stationary member and held against relative rotation therein, members between the gra pling arms and said movable member, an a release cable connected with the stationary member, and a hoisting cable connected with said movable member.

4. In a device of the character described, in combination, a stationary member, rigid grappling arms connected therewith, a movable member passing through the stationary member, links connecting the central parts of said grappling arms with the lower part of said movable member, pulleys associated with the movable and stationary members, and a hoisting cable passing over said pulleys.

5. In a device of the character described, in combination, a stationary member, rigid grappling arms pivotally connected therewith, a movable member passing through the stationary member, links connecting the central parts of said grappling arms with the lower part of said movable member,

pulleys associated with the Hmovable and stationary members, and a hoisting cable passing over said pulleys, said hoist-ing 'cae bles passing through an eye associated with the upper part of the movable member,

whereby to act in an axial direction, 'and a 'release cable connected with one ofsa'id parts.

end of said movable' member'andftlfie grapff lpling arms, a hoisting-cable connectedwith one cfsaid. parts, and a releaseicablec'onf, nected with another, .said ,'cablesfbeingso,4

positioned and, arranged as to-cause anauto-' matic opening' and closing of saidfgrapp'ling arms ajsthe device is lowered and raised.

7. -ln-a device of the character described, incombmation, a'stationary member, a central aperture, a plurality of lugs associated with said member, rigid duplex grappling arms pivotally connected at their upper ends with said lugs, a movable member adapted to slide in said central opening, connections between the lower end of said movable member and the grappling arms, a hoisting cable ingso positioned'and arranged as to cause 'an opening and closing of said grappling yarmsas thedevice .is lowered and raised,

and auxiliaryl pointsjadapted' to` be connected with ,the lower fend-' of; said! grappling bucket.

/ connected with one of said parts, a release v cable connected Withanother, said cables be? i arms to convert the deviceinto@d dredging f Y 8. In a device ofuthe'character.: i

in combination, astatienar'y'' member fhaving'* a central aperture, a 'pluralityof lugs associated With'said member,=lgrappling arms connected 'attheir-upper eiidswithsaid lugs,

ak `movable member adaptedtofslide in saidk f7.1.'

central opening, connections! betweenfthef v lower end`v of said movablemember ar'id'fthey grapplinga'rms,axhoistingiccable lconnectedi lwith "onetiof "said parts, a release 'cable con- -fne'cted with' another', said ,cables being, so f' i positio'nedja"iidYA arranged as to cause an auto` maticyopeningfand closing of saidgrappling -arms, 'said grappling `,arms being provided with openings'near'their lowerends, where- A byseparate digging blades ymay be attached tosaid arms atwi'll.vv

ln testimony whereof ll aiiXmy signature in ypresence of two witnesses;`

vVVitnesses: L n y J. K. MOORE, 1 F. L. BROWSE, 

